Rolling green hills dotted with Holstein cows, red barns, and blue silos. The Great Lakes ports at Superior, Ashland, and Kenosha. A Polish wedding dance or a German biergarten in Milwaukee. The dappled quiet of the Chequamagon forest. A weatherbeaten but tidy town hall at the intersection of two county trunk highways. Ojibwa families gathering wild rice into canoes. The boat ride through the Dells. The upland ridges of the Driftless Area, falling away into hidden valleys. . . . These are images of Wisconsin's land and life, images that evoke a strong sense of place. This book, Wisconsin Land and Life, is an exploration of place, a series of original essays by Wisconsin geographers that offers an introduction to the state's natural environment, the historical processes of its human habitation, and the ways that nature and people interact to create distinct regional landscapes. To read it is to come away with a sweeping view of Wisconsin's geography and history: the glaciers that carved lakes and moraines; the soils and climate that fostered the prairies and great northern pine forests; the early Native Americans who began to shape the landscape and who established forest trails and river portages; the successive waves of Europeans who came to trade in furs, mine for lead and iron, cut the white pines, establish farms, work in the lumber and paper mills, and transform spent wheatfields into pasture for dairy cattle. Readers will learn, too, about the platting and naming of Wisconsin's towns, the establishment of county and township governments, the growth of urban neighborhoods and parishes, the role of rivers, railroads, and religion in shaping the state's growth, and the controversial reforestation of the cutover lands that eventually transformed hardscrabble farms and swamps into a sportsman's paradise. Abundantly illustrated with photos and maps, this book will richly reward anyone who wishes to learn more about the land and life of the place we know as Wisconsin.

Provides information on the locations, facilities, services, decor, food, and rates of bed-and-breakfasts and country inns in the United States and Canada.

In this completely updated and expanded second edition, veteran anglers Jim Humphrey and Bill Shogren have added information on dozens of new streams. The authors describe their native trout waters with an evocative sense of place and anecdotes that convey not only the details but also the experience an angler can expect.

With city sophistication and small-town charm, Wisconsin offers much more than cheese! From Milwaukee’s ethnic festivals to Green Bay Packers games to spectacular scenic drives through Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest; from the boisterous water parks of the Dells to the tranquil beauty of cranberry marshes in autumn, author Mollie Boutell-Butler introduces you to a friendly and interesting state with an abundance of traditions and attractions. No other guidebook on Wisconsin is as comprehensive, none as passionate about all the riches nestled between Lakes Michigan and Superior. In these pages you’ll find detailed information on lodging and dining options—including where to find native dishes like kringle and booyah—in places where tourists congregate and places where they don’t; you’ll go up the coastline to the lighthouses, cherry orchards, and antiques markets of Door County; stroll through the offbeat shops and restaurants of Madison; and head inland, where over 1,200 miles of bicycle paths weave among 15,000 glacial lakes. There’s a greater variety of amusements in the Badger State than you ever imagined. Helpful icons make it easy to locate places of extra value, gay-friendly establishments, wi-fi hotspots, family-friendly activities, and lodgings that welcome pets. Regional and city maps cover everything from Green Bay to the expansive forests and Native American reservations of the Northwoods. An alphabetical What’s Where section provides essential facts and figures and simplifies trip planning and getting around. All the information you need to have a great time in Wisconsin is right here!

Wisconsin Off the Beaten Path features the things travelers and locals want to see and experience––if only they knew about them. From the best in local dining to quirky cultural tidbits to hidden attractions, unique finds, and unusual locales, Wisconsin Off the Beaten Path takes the reader down the road less traveled and reveals a side of Wisconsin that other guidebooks just don't offer.